Medicaid cuts hit adults on a low income
Medicaid cuts will make it extremely difficult for adults on a low income to access non-emergency dental care, according to current Medicaid providers.
The cuts will affect more than 6,000 people in Snohomish County; as a result of the budget cuts, preventative dental care will no longer be offered and the dental services offered by the Community Health Center of Snohomish County will also be affected.
The centre operates three dental offices in Everett and Lynnwood, which cater for more than 6,000 patients. The state cuts will reduce the amount of money given to the centre by around one million dollars and executive director, Ken Green, said the non-profit organisation simply couldn’t absorb the cuts.
Patients who are experiencing severe pain and require emergency treatment will still be catered for; however, the centre will stop providing preventative care because they can no longer afford to provide this service. Kishore Shetty, director of the centre’s dental services, said that preventative services were extremely important because they help to promote good oral health and reduce the risk of people developing serious dental health problems, which are often painful and expensive to treat.
Patients affected by the service will now be forced to try and find alternative providers of affordable dental care or pay higher fees; many will be left out of pocket and others will be forced to join lengthy waiting lists.
Medical services in the area will also be affected by the cuts.
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